Don’t Punish Religious Groups

While President Obama talks of smoothing the transition of power to a new administration, he’s involved in a pitched behind-the-scenes battle on behalf of LGBT extremists who want to punish religious groups who provide services under federal contracts. Obama and the left want to kill what’s known as the Russell Amendment, which applies decades-old exemptions to Title VII allowing religious groups to provide services to the federal government without having to abandon their religious beliefs.

The policy advanced by the Russell Amendment has operated for a long time without incident and was included by the House of Representatives when they passed the National Defense Authorization Act earlier this year. But now President Obama has threatened to veto funding for our troops unless the Russell Amendment is removed, and 42 Democrat Senators have joined the extreme cause.

Who would benefit if religious protections are removed from this legislation? The LGBT extremists who are behind this outrageous attack on religion.

Who would be damaged? Churches, social service groups, the disadvantaged, members of the military and American taxpayers.

If the Russell Amendment is removed from law, then religious groups will be subjected to discrimination and harassment simply for maintaining their religious character while providing essential services to the public via federal contract. For example, faith-based social service providers would be forced to adopt hiring policies that conflict with their religious teachings and values. They would have to comply with illegal Obama decrees on “gender identity,” opening bathrooms and showers to people of the opposite sex and subjecting them to a wide range of “discrimination” complaints from LGBT activists.